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Due to the overwhelming number of entries (way more than I expected) that I received for the Next Star Artist competition, there will be a delay with the announcement of the ten finalists. Instead of the ten finalists being announced on the 30th of May the ten finalists will now be announced on the 8th of June.

Entry for the 2008 Next Star Artist Competition has Closed

May 26 Update:

On behalf of all the people involved with the Next Star Artist competition I would like to thank all the artists that entered the competition and all the people that supported the competition. Attracting the support of artists and art market professionals for a new and radical art competition was never going to be an easy task but having received over 220 entries I can say, without a doubt, that the level of interest and support has been far beyond what I would have ever hoped for. There have of course been those that have expressed a negative or sceptical opinion of the Next Star Artist concept which has just increased my determination to make the competition a success. I would not have started this competition if I was not totally sure that it would be of benefit to the winner and to the wider artistic community. My past experiences with the promotion of artists has given me the information, knowledge and tools that I need to be able to replicate the positive results that I have had in the past.

Now that entries have closed, ten finalists will be chosen from the entries received and announced on the 30th of May. Once the ten finalists have been announced the judging of the ten finalists by a variety of art world personalities and art market professionals will begin (30th May to 20th June) to determine who the winner will be. The artist that the judges deem to be the best entry (judged according to judging criteria) will be named the winner on the 27th of June.

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.

With only two days to go until entries for the Next Star Artist competition (http://www.nextstarartist.com) close there has been a steady flow of last minute entries to add to the 160+ entries that have already been received. I am really looking forward to working with the winner and helping the winner to stand out from the crowd in a market where it is easy for even the best of artists to go unnoticed. I have spent lots of time deciding on how best to assist the winner with their career and have drawn upon my past successes with artist promotion to create a plan of campaign. My plan is based on the long term progression and development as opposed to short term hype with a view to assisting the winner in a way that ensures long term prosperity and success.

Although there are plenty of opportunities available for artists who wish to progress their careers it is often the case that an artist will not know that these opportunities exist or how to best utilise them to their advantage. I have spent significant amounts of time identifying these opportunities and will reveal the list to the winner and advise the winner on how best to use the opportunities that I have identified as the most beneficial.

If you would like to enter the competition all you need to do is send three images of your work, a brief bio and an artists statement to entry@nextstarartist.com. Further details can be found at http://www.nextstarartist.com

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.

The huge number of positive responses that I received that are in favour of the final judging structure being changed from a public vote to the winner being decided by a panel of judges has given me more than enough reason to officially change the structure. To prevent any lobbying the identities of the judges will not be revealed until after the winner has been announced but I can tell you that they will include some very well known curators and art critics. With just over two weeks to go until entries close the excitement is really starting to build as entries continue to come in thick and fast. I am currently preparing a series of promotional opportunities for the winner of the competition which I am sure will be of great benefit to who ever is lucky enough to be the recipient of this great prize.

Entries close on the 23rd of May so if you are planning on entering the competition you had better start preparing your entry. Entry details can be found at http://www.nextstarartist.com but basically what you need to do is send in your bio, a brief artist’s statement and three pics of your work to nextstarartist@gmail.com and entry is free.

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.

My original solution to deciding the winner of the competition was to open voting to the public via a public poll but I am beginning to have second thoughts about this method. The other option is to enlist the services of around 30 art market professionals to judge the ten finalists and decide on the winner. If anyone has any thoughts as to the best and most fair method of deciding the winner from the ten finalists please let me know. Any thoughts would be most welcome.

A. My name is Nicholas Forrest and I am an art critic, art market analyst, art consultant and art collector from Sydney, Australia. I spend most of my time writing about art (see http://www.artmarketblog.com), advising on art investment and the art market, giving talks and being interviewed. If you want to know more about me check out the About page on this blog or search for “Nicholas Forrest” (keep quotation marks) on google. If you have any further questions you can email me at info@artnotice.com or send a message through the Art Market Blog at http://www.artmarketblog.com

Q. What’s the point?

A. The primary aim of the competition is to provide a boost to the career of a talented and motivated emerging artist. I see so many artists who have amazing talent and potential but do not have the opportunity to further their career and become successful. I also see the competition as a means of providing validation and motivation for artists, not just as a means to an end. Another one of the motives behind this competition is to prove that an artist can be famous, popular and successful without losing any of their artistic integrity or compromising their own unique approach.

Q. I am not sure if I am eligible to enter, what should I do?

A. The entry criteria are available at http://www.nextstarartist.com but are not totally set in stone. If you are unsure as to your eligibility, just enter anyway. You never know!!

A. After entries close on the 23rd of May ten finalists will be chosen by myself. A public vote will then determine the winner from the ten finalists.

Q. I don’t agree with the commercial focus, what should I do?

A. Get over it!!

Q. Why does the winner have to donate an artwork?

A. The reason that I have required the winner to donate an artwork to the artmarketblog.com art collection is because I want to ensure that the winner is willing to make the level of commitment required for the competition to be a success for the winning artist. The success of the competition relies on the ability of the winner to make the commitment to the promotional opportunities provided to the winner.